Sunday, 24 April 2011

Clematis and stitching bits

What great weather we've been having, not by overseas standards I dare say, but for easter in UK, its been glorious. Having said that there were smog warnings in some areas~ I can recall smog in Birmingham way back in the mid to late 50s... Mum made me wear a scarf tied round my neck covering my mouth, which damn near strangled me. So determined was she that no smog would get through to my bronchially challenged young lungs! The fact that she and Dad both smoked bloody 'Woodbines' all round the house can't have helped and there she was panicked over smog and my health!But I do recall the darkness that hung around us as we trudged about, it was foul tasting I remember. One time I jumped off the tram on one journey, I cant have been very old cos I was born late 1949 and am sure the last trams in Birmingham were during the middle 50s sometime. But I recall this journey and the smog because I was so wrapped up I couldnt see where to put my feet when we got off, so of course I ended up sprawled in the gutter as we left the tram and the conductress was kind and helped me up. lol The scarf was so tight and came right up over my nose and near enough stopped me seeing where I was going and looking down wasnt an option!The conductress had on bright red lipstick and I remember Mum saying " she's no better than she should be........." !!! Looking back now, it was a judgemental and awful thing for Mum to have said!

However its been nice to have a few days off work with bank hols so its been doubly fine! I am working 3 days next week before the next long weekend off, but 3 days I can manage, just wish I could drop to a 3 days week, every week! If I could afford to I so would do... lol

The teacups above are my way of using the ones that I have somehow managed to break the handles of........so they are still being recycled. Of course you do need a blob of bluetack to keep them upright!

And this is the view from my back bedroom window......with the uninspiring next doors concrete garden to the left and my successfully growing clematis taking over everywhere else! the idea was to shield the fence tops for privacy and its worked! There are other clematis woven in amongst this one but they are hard to find until they blossom and fight their way up to the see the sun.

Altered this piece and have finally finished it and mounted it on a wooden shadow box frame.Its all eco dyed fabrics except for a slither or two of lilac voile that had been heat zapped. The eco dyeing is from last year, elderberry, and buckthorn as I recall. Added some recycled beads too.

This is as close as Ive come yet to making one of Jude's fantastical beasts I think, although I havent woven so much as collaged it. I stumbled on the backing fabric which is super soft cotton and so nicely patterned, with faded and kindly colours that I didnt feel it needed any more woven or other wise on it.The sun motif is laid on a circular design that suggested a sun to me.And the lion came about because I found a small piece of fabric with a flower on it that looked like a mane...........and thats def taken from Judes classes. The body, legs, tail, ears are eco dyed fabrics too.

Im going to let him hang for a while till I determine if he needs anything more around him. I think maybe I could have positioned him lower down, so the sun would have seemed higher, but am not shifting him now!Its 5.50pm and must surely must be sundown somewhere in the world and its certainly seems close to it here too ...so on that premise am off to have a G&T :)Happy Easter folks, may your eggs all hatch sucessfully or be tasty chocolate ones! ( from she who hasnt had a single one ! ) lol

3 comments:

ah ha I have a diabetic one which has polyols in it what ever they are and the warning on the back says dont eat more than a certain amount which turns out to be around a 3 inch square a day!Whats the point of that!Great piece of work lyn, I love your style

Oh Shelagh I swear Id never manage as a diabetic, it seems so cruel for you to be so limited and restrained all the while. Wonder if thats why you excel with your imaginative artwork! Hmm perhaps lack of chocolate centres the creative part of the brain..........theres a disertation in there somewhere hun ...lol x

Lyn, I loved reading this post -- your clematis is un-be-liev-able, wish I could make privacy walls with it but it just doesn't grow like that here... and very cute teacup nests, am going to "borrow" that idea directly for centerpieces for future herb society functions. And the lion. Oh, I love your lion. I didn't take the beast class so hmmmm I'm learning a lot right here. He's just wonderful! We have one package of 4 small chocolate eggs left and the hubster just opened it so it'll be gone before bedtime. So sad.

About Me

Ex married ( just the once), Ex Police, Ex RAF. Hmm I know, all those Ex's, but its not as bad as it sounds, honestly, so please don't be put off!
Im a Mum, a Nanna, a working CL-artist and one whose Creative Gene is always wittering at me to do this or try that... Its therapuetic fun and beats paying for a Psychiatrist.
Though considering Im here, talking to msyelf on a blog, I do sometimes wonder.........lol